A distinctively patterned bird which gives it it's name, the Scaly-breasted Munia is a very widely distributed species with a range that covers all of South-East Asia and India, a substantial portion of China with some extra introduced populated in Australia, the US and certain islands around the world. They have the powerful seed-eating beaks, similar to greenfinches in the UK. Due to their ease of breeding in captivity, they are popular as cage-birds but have also been subject to extensive study.